AT editor

In the United States, President Donald Trump has announced his support for an immigration bill that would work on a point-based system that’s likely to limit applicants, including many Africans, who previously obtained visas under the U.S. Diversity Visa program. Called the RAISE Act, it “eliminates the outdated Diversity Visa…

More than 15 journalists were among those arrested or detained while covering protests in Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, drawing the condemnation of both MONUSCO and media advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders. The arrests were among more than 120 documented by the United Nations in Kinshasa and other cities…

On the eve of Rwanda’s presidential election, Diane Shima Rwigara – the disqualified independent candidate who had hoped to challenge President Paul Kagame – warned that he will be “crowned as an undisputed king of Rwanda” and continue to rule a country in fear and without freedoms. Rwigara sat for…

The United Nations Security Council should apply sanctions to nine leaders in South Sudan, including President Salva Kiir and exiled rebel leader Riek Machar, the Human Rights Watch organization argued in a new report on conflict-related atrocities released Tuesday. “Salva Kiir, former Vice President Riek Machar, former army chief of…

China has formally opened its new military base in Djibouti, with a national flag ceremony and a military parade held at the barracks near the port city of Obock. The ceremony marked the arrival of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops at the base, following a journey that began July 11…

Authorities in Malawi have issued an arrest warrant for former president Joyce Banda, whose tenure from 2012 through 2014 was marked by the notorious “Cashgate” scandal, a high water mark in the southern African nation’s struggles with corruption. The Malawi Police Service announced in a press statement Monday that it…

Authorities in Kenya say that a key election official responsible for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) technology systems was tortured and killed, just days before the country’s contentious elections. Chris Msando was missing for three days before his body was discovered near Kikuyu, to the northwest of Nairobi….

There were no reports of serious damage or injuries following the moderate earthquake that hit southwestern Uganda on Sunday morning, but the quake disrupted prayer services at nearby churches and was felt in neighboring Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. The 5.3-magnitude quake came just after 10 a.m. with an…

Eight more people have been arrested on corruption charges in Ethiopia, the nation’s attorney general said Saturday, bringing to 42 the number of government officials and business professionals caught up in the crackdown. The 42 suspects were arrested for alleged embezzlement of more than USD$58 million from the Federal Roads…

A video of three University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) faculty and staff members, believed to be abducted by Boko Haram members during last week’s ambush on an oil exploration team in Borno state, was released to news media on Saturday. Appearing in the video are two men who identified themselves as…

The Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) is moving forward with plans to introduce new banknotes meant to stabilize an economy dragged down by, among other things, the widespread use of counterfeit cash. Bashir Isse Ali, head of the CBS, said at a Thursday press conference that plans for printing the…

The 93-year-old leader of Zimbabwe has again insisted that he is not leaving office, amid concerns about recent medical care and a swirl of political posturing and his wife’s public call to name his successor. President Robert Mugabe, the oldest head of state in the world, made the remarks Saturday…

In the quest to better understand marine ecosystems and climate, South Africa and Brazil will partner with the European Union to study the Atlantic Ocean shared by their nations. The South Atlantic Research and Innovation Flagship Initiative was launched in July at the Belém Tower in Lisbon. The program is…

Authorities in Zimbabwe are cleaning up a sulfuric acid spill near the Hwange National Park that has threatened a nearby community’s water supply. The accident happened early this week near Gulalembila, along the main highway that runs on the park’s eastern border about halfway between Cross Dete and the community…

The death toll in Nigeria has risen to more than 50 following a Boko Haram attack on an oil exploration team in northeastern Borno state. The ambush occurred Tuesday near Magumeri as a team working with Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) was in the area, according to multiple media accounts,…

Launched in July 2015, Africa Times is an independent participative online news site for Sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to empower all African voices through publishing content by a range of people, from academics to bloggers. We are dedicated to bringing the world an African view on life, up-to-date African news and analysis.